Soil for Azalea

[readc]

The part you are failing to understand is the absolute need to leave this plant alone for now. If you transplanted it a month ago, you need to leave the soil alone for two or three years. The idea of swapping out soil now, is to misunderstand how much you can do to a plant before it will just die. Whatever soil it's in now is what it needs to be in for a minimum of a year if not 2-3 years.

Regardless of whether or not that soil retains too much or not enough water? I am not in a hurry, if yall think I should do nothing for a year or 2, then i wont touch it. im not going to be utterly disappointed if it dies as we have hundreds of these i can harvest. Do not mistake that as a disregard for its well being, just pointing it out.

 

[pgstroud@aol.com]

Azalea Bonsai Soil

Since pine needles are acidic you might get a small handful & with scissors clip small pieces into your soil mixture. I've done this in the past & had good luck.

 

[Dav4]

I'll have to disagree with Fourteener and say that if the soil is truly atrocious, then you're better getting it out sooner then later. Personally, I wouldn't be cutting a lot of roots and I'd plan to use a hose to gently wash as much of the crappy soil away as possible. Either way, this tree will be stressed and compromised this season so you'll need to baby it. You'll have to be super careful with watering whether you repot or not...damaged roots don't effectively move soil from the soil and heavy, moisture retentive soil takes a long time to dry out. If you do go ahead and repot, you'll need to keep it in shade for a while as well.

 

[Paradox]

Yeah the training pot is like 12" by 4", so that is wide and shallow as you mention.

I'm pretty sure I am in the Newby thread here, so this IS part of my research. Why is this such a surprise?

There is no reason to get defensive. I am trying to offer you advice to help you out.
Most of us here are willing and happy to help new people to the hobby, but none of us are paid to sit on these forums answering every question that comes along.

You cant expect to learn by just asking questions on a forum and having us reguritate it all for you. You will get further along in your knowledge faster if you do some of the work on your own and not just rely on us to do it for you.

Information about the best soil for azaleas is pretty readily available and easy to find. If you had done some research before digging this plant, you could have saved yourself and the plant a second repotting and done it correctly in the first place.

Good luck.

 

[fourteener]

I'll have to disagree with Fourteener and say that if the soil is truly atrocious, then you're better getting it out sooner then later. Personally, I wouldn't be cutting a lot of roots and I'd plan to use a hose to gently wash as much of the crappy soil away as possible. Either way, this tree will be stressed and compromised this season so you'll need to baby it. You'll have to be super careful with watering whether you repot or not...damaged roots don't effectively move soil from the soil and heavy, moisture retentive soil takes a long time to dry out. If you do go ahead and repot, you'll need to keep it in shade for a while as well.

You would repot and do rootwork one month after digging it up from the ground?

 

[Dav4]

You would repot and do rootwork one month after digging it up from the ground?

If the tree was sitting in field soil in a pot, then yes I would, but like I said in my post, most of the work would be done with a hose and I'd try not to cut anything. Personally, I think it's a death sentence to leave the azalea in 100% native soil.

 

[Poink88]

Personally, I think it's a death sentence to leave the azalea in 100% native soil.

Why is that? The tree lived in that soil for years and now it cannot survive another year in it? It boils down to after care IMHO...know the soil and how to properly water it.

I am with 14er and agree with Paradox. Had readc did his homework and knew what he is doing, none of this discussion would be necessary.

Either way, I'll just wish the tree good luck...and add another name in my ignore list.

 

[johng]

If the tree was sitting in field soil in a pot, then yes I would, but like I said in my post, most of the work would be done with a hose and I'd try not to cut anything. Personally, I think it's a death sentence to leave the azalea in 100% native soil.

I have to go with Terry on this one Dave.
It is also a death sentence to repot a month after doing so... all the new fine and tiny roots, having just starting to grow since the repot will be toast. A day or two after repotting fine, but a month is too long and will most likely cause irreparable damage.
John

 

[Dav4]

Yes, definitely not ideal. The op is stuck between a rock and a hard place. For me, I would rather risk killing the tree now by getting it into better soil then to watch it slowly fail over the next year or two.

 

[readc]

Why is that? The tree lived in that soil for years and now it cannot survive another year in it? It boils down to after care IMHO...know the soil and how to properly water it.

I am with 14er and agree with Paradox. Had readc did his homework and knew what he is doing, none of this discussion would be necessary.

Either way, I'll just wish the tree good luck...and add another name in my ignore list.

I appreciate that.

 

[fourteener]

Yes, definitely not ideal. The op is stuck between a rock and a hard place. For me, I would rather risk killing the tree now by getting it into better soil then to watch it slowly fail over the next year or two.

I have trees I don't mind losing(seriously, not sarcastically). They can be could sources to experiment on. How far can you push something and keep it alive.

 

[readc]

I'll have to disagree with Fourteener and say that if the soil is truly atrocious, then you're better getting it out sooner then later. Personally, I wouldn't be cutting a lot of roots and I'd plan to use a hose to gently wash as much of the crappy soil away as possible. Either way, this tree will be stressed and compromised this season so you'll need to baby it. You'll have to be super careful with watering whether you repot or not...damaged roots don't effectively move soil from the soil and heavy, moisture retentive soil takes a long time to dry out. If you do go ahead and repot, you'll need to keep it in shade for a while as well.

That being said, what soil mixture would you recommend? Would peat moss for moisture retention and pumice work?

 

[readc]

I have trees I don't mind losing(seriously, not sarcastically). They can be could sources to experiment on. How far can you push something and keep it alive.

This is essentially what this plant is for me. I have the palmatum which i do nothing drastic with and have it in a trainer pot with a good soil mix. Getting nice growth. I baby it.

This azalea is just something i am trying to use as a learning experiment. from harvesting to actually creating a bonsai. That way, when i really do have a unique specimen i dont destroy it from the beginning.

 

[Dav4]

I have trees I don't mind losing(seriously, not sarcastically). They can be could sources to experiment on. How far can you push something and keep it alive.

Yes, some of the best trees to work on are trees you really don't care too much about. Luckily, it doesn't sound like we're dealing with an imported satsuki azalea.

To the op, as far as the soil mix goes, it really depends on what you have available...if you're gonna repot, you've got to do it ASAP to have any chance of it surviving. I've never used peat moss as a soil component and wouldn't recommend it. My azaleas are in a mix of turface, lava, kanuma and chopped long fibered sphagnum moss....will be adding pumice to the mix the next time. I've heard of people having success using pine bark mulch as an organic component as well. 1 part pumice and 1 part organic like sphagnum moss or bark might work. I guess you're going to have to experiment.

 

[readc]

Yes, some of the best trees to work on are trees you really don't care too much about. Luckily, it doesn't sound like we're dealing with an imported satsuki azalea.

To the op, as far as the soil mix goes, it really depends on what you have available...if you're gonna repot, you've got to do it ASAP to have any chance of it surviving. I've never used peat moss as a soil component and wouldn't recommend it. My azaleas are in a mix of turface, lava, kanuma and chopped long fibered sphagnum moss....will be adding pumice to the mix the next time. I've heard of people having success using pine bark mulch as an organic component as well. 1 part pumice and 1 part organic like sphagnum moss or bark might work. I guess you're going to have to experiment.

alright! Thank you. I'll update as I go along.

 

[Mellow Mullet]

I have a bunch of azaleas and have had good luck with using a 60/40 inorganic/ organic mix. For inorganic I use lava, pumice, and turface. For organic I use fir or pine bark.

For your tree, why not try taking some rebar and driving it down through the root ball to open it up. Pack the hole created with bonsai mix(whichever one that you decide to use, I personally would not use kanuma, akadama or any of that stuff, it is too expensive and its benefits have just not been justified to me, they work in Japan but they have a different climate than what we have here in the Southern USA, but that is a whole another can of worms), do this all around the root mass. This will open up the root mass and improve drainage without having to repot. I agree with the opinion that it should be left alone for a year to regroup. Azaleas are really tough, but they, too, have a breaking point.

Just my two cents worth.

John

 

[armetisius]

IF

If your azalea is in anything other than pure clay mud leave it alone for a year after digging it.

If you just want to see how much abuse an azalea can take?
Lowe's has their "starters" for $3.94 retail.

If you took the time, and effort, to dig this old girl doesn't she deserve at least a break even shot at continued life?

If you have all these azaleas around to experiment on PM your address I will gladly come with shovel and trailer.

Just the way I look at it.

 

[readc]

I have a bunch of azaleas and have had good luck with using a 60/40 inorganic/ organic mix. For inorganic I use lava, pumice, and turface. For organic I use fir or pine bark.

For your tree, why not try taking some rebar and driving it down through the root ball to open it up. Pack the hole created with bonsai mix(whichever one that you decide to use, I personally would not use kanuma, akadama or any of that stuff, it is too expensive and its benefits have just not been justified to me, they work in Japan but they have a different climate than what we have here in the Southern USA, but that is a whole another can of worms), do this all around the root mass. This will open up the root mass and improve drainage without having to repot. I agree with the opinion that it should be left alone for a year to regroup. Azaleas are really tough, but they, too, have a breaking point.

Just my two cents worth.

John

thanks John...I think I'm going to just let it be for a year. The soil is decent native soil so we will see how it goes.

Thanks

 

[readc]

If your azalea is in anything other than pure clay mud leave it alone for a year after digging it.

If you just want to see how much abuse an azalea can take?
Lowe's has their "starters" for $3.94 retail.

If you took the time, and effort, to dig this old girl doesn't she deserve at least a break even shot at continued life?

If you have all these azaleas around to experiment on PM your address I will gladly come with shovel and trailer.

Just the way I look at it.

right on man thanks for the input